Dog Walk Etiquette: The Dos and Don'ts of Dog Walks

Psst.. it' involves dog treats and boundary honouring!

When getting a dog, there are loads of things to think about.. one of those things is yours and your dog’s etiquette when on a dog walk - particularly at dog parks and public spaces.

First rule of thumb, go into situations assuming no one likes dogs (the likelihood is extremely low!) but that sets the tone of how you and your dog should be behave. These means restricting your dog from jumping up and saying hello to everyone, and giving the other people space to express their boundaries.

Second thing to be aware of, if your dog is off lead or even on lead, assume all other dogs are off limits unless both dogs engage well when near each other. Ask the other owner if they are ok to socialise, although you trust your dog, you need to still get consent. Please honour their decision if they say no, there will be a reason and it’s not worth finding out just because your dog is “friendly”.

Third thing that’s more on you than the dog, when your dog is socialising with another dog, first impressions (and scents) are CRUCIAL. Don’t disrupt the introductions by pulling on the lead, tightening the lead or hurrying up the process - these actions alone can be the triggers of a dog fight. Why? 1) a dog that hasn’t respectively completed the introductions (e.g you’re still walking or trying to get them away while they sniff) can be seen as really disrespectful to the other dog. That’s basically the same as someone puts their hand out for a hand shake but you stare at them and walk away. 2) your dog will feel the change of lead’s tension and can cause them to feel anxious unnecessarily.

In these instances, loosen the lead, let them do what they need to do and keep an eye on any changes of body languages e.g. longer stares, growling, hackles up, change in tail.. you’ll know what it’s not right and positively distract them both away.

Fourth thing, treats! If you giving your dog a treat and another dog runs along to get in on the action. ALWAYS ask the owner before handing it to them, they may have intolerances, they may be in training mode or simply, the owner doesn’t let their dog another people’s treats and that’s ok, you just need to respect that.

Lastly, if you or another owner’s dog wants a dog removed from a situation. If it’s not your dog, please calmly ask the owner to remove them from the situation and state some of the reasons why. If they refuse or they become defensive, please remind that the laws of an uncontrolled dog (if your dog is on lead and their dog isn’t, it would be them that would have an issue with the law as it’s deemed that their dog is uncontrollable, and no one wants that). Similarly, the same applies to you if it’s your dog that’s been asked to removed, please honour that immediately and don’t dispute. You may feel defensive at first but that’s just a reaction, accept the shame and frustration internally and go away with a plan to work on said behaviour.

These would be the main ones outside of the typical: pick up your dog’s poo, don’t let them steal other dog’s toys, you know the drill. Dog walks are enjoyable but these help accentuate the enjoyment by not annoying anyone else.